GeoEye-1
| website = | COSPAR_ID = 2008-042A | SATCAT = 33331 | mission_duration = Planned: 7 years Elapsed: | spacecraft_bus = SA-200HP | manufacturer = General Dynamics | dry_mass = | launch_mass = | payload_mass = | dimensions = (arrays stowed) | power = 3,862 watts | launch_date = UTC | launch_rocket = Delta II 7420-10, D-335 | launch_site = Vandenberg SLC-2W | launch_contractor = Boeing United Launch Alliance | disposal_type = | deactivated = | decay_date = | orbit_reference = Geocentric | orbit_regime = Sun-synchronous | orbit_semimajor = | orbit_eccentricity = 0.000879 | orbit_periapsis = | orbit_apoapsis = | orbit_inclination = 98.12 degrees | orbit_period = 98.34 minutes | orbit_RAAN = 347.09 degrees | orbit_arg_periapsis = 221.37 degrees | orbit_epoch = 30 September 2018, 16:31:21 UTC | apsis = gee | telescope_name = | telescope_diameter = | telescope_focal_length= | telescope_area = | telescope_wavelength = | telescope_resolution = Panchromatic: Multispectral: | trans_bandwidth = X band: 150 or 740 Mbps | programme = DigitalGlobe fleet | previous_mission = WorldView-1 | next_mission = WorldView-2 }} GeoEye-1 is a high-resolution Earth observation satellite owned by DigitalGlobe, launched in September 2008. The satellite was acquired in the 2013 purchase of GeoEye. History On 1 December 2004, General Dynamics C4 Systems announced it had been awarded a contract worth approximately to build the OrbView-5 satellite. Its sensor is designed by the ITT Exelis. The satellite, now known as GeoEye-1, was originally scheduled for launch in April 2008 but lost its 30-day launch slot to a U.S. government mission which had itself been delayed. It was rescheduled for launch 22 August 2008 from Vandenberg Air Force Base aboard a Delta II launch vehicle. The launch was postponed to 4 September 2008, due to unavailability of the Big Crow telemetry-relay aircraft. It was delayed again to 6 September because Hurricane Hanna interfered with its launch crews. The launch took place successfully on 6 September 2008 at 18:50:57 UTC. The GeoEye-1 satellite separated successfully from its Delta II launch vehicle at 19:49 UTC, 58 minutes and 56 seconds after launch. Specifications and operation GeoEye-1 provides panchromatic and multispectral imagery at nadir in swaths. The spacecraft is in a Sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of and an inclination of 98 degrees, with a 10:30 a.m. equator crossing time. GeoEye-1 can image up to 60 degrees off nadir. It is operated out of Dulles, Virginia. At the time of its launch, GeoEye-1 was the world's highest resolution commercial Earth-imaging satellite. GeoEye-1 was manufactured in Gilbert, Arizona, by General Dynamics and the first image was returned on 7 October of Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. Google, which had its logo on the side of the rocket, has exclusive online mapping use of its data. While GeoEye-1 is capable of imagery with details the size of , that resolution was only available to the U.S. government. Google has access to details of . Prior maximum commercial imagery was . The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Google paid a combined for the satellite and upgrades to GeoEye's four ground stations. 2009 anomaly In December 2009 GeoEye announced it had suspended imagery collections by GeoEye-1 for a few days, citing an irregularity in the downlink antenna. "The irregularity appears to limit the range of movement of GeoEye-1 downlink antenna, which may in turn affect GeoEye-1 ability to image and downlink simultaneously," GeoEye said at a press conference. However, the satellite continued with normal operations shortly thereafter, though with diminished simultaneous imaging-and-downlink capability for non-U.S. clients. See also * 2008 in spaceflight References External links * [https://www.digitalglobe.com/about/our-constellation#geoeye-1 GeoEye-1] at Digitalglobe.com Category:Commercial imaging satellites of the United States Category:Google Category:Spacecraft launched in 2008 Category:Spacecraft launched by Delta II rockets fi:GeoEye#GeoEye 1